Open sportsbooks in New Jersey

New Jersey allows AC casinos and state racetracks to be licensed for sports betting. Each operator license is allowed three online skins. All legal sportsbooks are overseen by the Division of Gaming Enforcement.

Eight Atlantic City casinos and two active racetracks have retail books in operation and are licensed to offer online sportsbooks.

Monmouth Park Racetrack

Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport was the first operation to take a legal sports bet in New Jersey and rightfully so. They’ve been waiting to do it since 2013.

William Hill US is Monmouth’s partner, and the sportsbook officially opened June 14, 2018, in the William Hill Race & Sports Bar.

They’re making plans to spend $5 million building an even bigger sports wagering lounge on the property with space for up to 5,000 gamblers.

Betting hours

Online sportsbook partners

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa

Borgata renamed its horse race betting facility The Race & Sports Book and launched sports betting there at 11 a.m. on June 14, 2018.

But that facility was just a temporary one. MGM opened a larger sportsbook in summer 2019, keeping the Race & Sports Book as a secondary space. The Moneyline Bar & Book features six betting windows, a full-service food and drink menu, and a video wall.

Betting hours

Online Sportsbook Partners

Golden Nugget Atlantic City

Golden NuggetSportsbook launched on Aug. 15, 2018. The Sportsbook occupies a new 2,500-square-foot space that opened a couple of weeks later on Aug. 31.

The Sportsbook is the only New Jersey sports betting facility not to offer wagering on NBA games. Golden Nugget is prohibited from doing so due to owner Tilman Fertitta’s ownership of the Houston Rockets. However, this could soon change if a new bill is signed into law.

Betting hours

Golden Nugget Sportsbook is open daily from10 a.m. to midnight.

Online Sportsbook Partners

Golden Nugget online sportsbook (SBTech/Scientific Games)

BetAmerica (SBTech)

Tropicana AC

The William Hill Sportsbook at Tropicana Atlantic Cityopened Oct. 25 in a temporary facility.

A new 5,000-square-foot sportsbook opened to the public just before March Madness betting began in 2019 and includes more than 1,000 square feet of video displays and seating for 180 fans.

The Tropicana sportsbook is located in the North Tower Casino.

Betting hours

Monday-Thursday: 10 a.m.-12 a,m.

Friday: 10 a.m.-1 a.m.

Saturday: 9 a.m.-1 a.m.

Sunday: 9 a.m.-12 a.m.

Online Sportsbook Partners

William Hill NJ

Hard Rock AC

The temporary sportsbook opened for business just before the 2019 Super Bowl. But the new sportsbook lounge opened the week of the Final Four and includes seating for 50, 60 TVs and a full-service bar.

Betting hours

Within the next few weeks, new hours of operation will go into effect:

Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Friday: 11 a.m.-12 a.m.

Saturday & Sunday: 10 a.m.-12 a.m.

Online Sportsbook Partners

Hard Rock (GiG)

Bet365

Unibet (Kambi/Kindred)

NJ sportsbooks and apps in the works

Freehold Raceway

Freehold Raceway and owners Penn National Gaming and Greenwood Gaming are working out the details as we speak to a couple of online sports betting skins, according to a recent report made known Dec. 11.

Garden State Park

The former racetrack near Philadelphia last had a horse race in 2001, which makes it eligible to offer legal sports betting under NJ law.

However, a legal battle between the site’s former racing operator (GSP Racing) and the developer means any such sportsbook will be weeks if not months away from reality.

While the developer, Cherry Hill, has moved forward with plans for a standalone sportsbook facility, the case is still pending.

Sports betting and gambling partnerships

Since May 2018, many sports organizations have raced to form strategic partnerships with companies that were personae non grata just months before.

Nowhere has been a bigger hotbed of this activity than New Jersey. Since New Jersey led the charge, it follows that the Garden State would also be the new epicenter of sports betting in the US.

With all these different strands braiding together, it’s hard to keep track. So, consult the table below to see the current slate of partnerships related to NJ teams and pro leagues:

League/Team

Sportsbook/Casino

NBA

MGM Resorts, BetStars (The Stars Group), FanDuel

NHL

MGM Resorts, FanDuel, William Hill

MLB

MGM Resorts, DraftKings, FanDuel

NY Jets

MGM Resorts, 888 Casino

Philadelphia 76ers

Caesars

NJ Devils

William Hill, Caesars, FanDuel

NFL

Caesars (casino only)

NJ sports betting FAQ

Who can bet on sports in New Jersey?

Anyone 21 or older and located within the state can place wagers. However, the law prohibits athletes, coaches, referees and anybody else who could influence the outcome of a game from making bets.

In 2019, the DGE allowed bets on the Academy Awards though this is not guaranteed to happen every year.

Are there any betting restrictions?

There is a collegiate betting restriction affecting any NJ college or university. No bets are allowed on these teams or any other NJ college games taking place inside or outside the state.

The law also prohibits owners and other key members of pro sports leagues and franchises from taking bets on the sports they are involved in. For instance, Golden Nugget can’t take NBA bets because owner Tilman Fertitta also owns the Houston Rockets.

What kind of bets can be made?

Like sportsbooks in Nevada, New Jersey sportsbooks, online and off, offer a variety of bets that fall under the category of single-game wagering. Basically, that means gamblers can pick the winner of a specific sporting event and bet on it.

However, there are a variety of ways gamblers can bet on the games. These include:

Moneyline bets: Moneyline bets are the most simple and common single-game wagers. You select a game, pick a team to win that game, and if they come through, you get paid based on the moneyline odds.

The moneyline is a representation of the odds on a particular team to win. The money line shows you how much you need to bet to win $100 on the favorite and how much you can win betting $100 on the underdog.

For favorites, a money line is a negative number. The moneyline on the New Jersey Devils to beat the New York Rangers might be -110. That would mean you would have to bet $110 to win $100 plus your initial $110 bet back.

For underdogs, a moneyline is a positive number. The moneyline on the New York Rangers to beat the New Jersey Devils might be +150. That would mean betting $100 on the Rangers would win you $150 plus your initial $100 bet back if the Rangers win.

Point spread bets: Sportsbooks set point spreads and reflect how many points a favorite in any particular game is expected to win by. Point spread bets are simply wagered on the favorite to win by that set amount of points or not.

The favorite must win by more points than the spread for bets on that favorite to pay. Bets on the underdog pay when it beats the favorite or loses by fewer points than the spread.

Let’s say the point spread on New York Jets versus New York Giants game is set at 4.5 points. The Giants are the favorite, so they would need to win by more than 4.5 points to cover. If the score ended up Giants 17 Jets 10, the Giants would cover, having won by more than the 4.5 point spread. All bets on the Giants to cover would pay.

However, if the game ended up Giants 17 Jets 16, the Giants would have failed to cover. Only bets on the Jets would pay.The favorite has to cover the point spread to win. If they don’t cover, bets on the underdog pay. If the favorite wins by the point spread exactly, it is considered a push and both sides get their bet back.

Over/under bets: The over/under is a relatively simple bet on how many total points will be scored in a particular game. Like point spreads, a line is set on the total points that will be scored in a game. Gamblers then bet on whether the actual total will be over or under that particular line.

The over/under on the New York Giants versus the New York Jets might be 50. If the final score of the game turned out to be Giants 25 Jets 24, the total score would be 49 and all bets on the under would pay.

If the final score ended up Giants 31 Jets 24, the total score would be 55 and all bets on the over would pay.

Parlay bets: Parlay bets involve combining more than one bet. All bets in a parlay must win for the parlay to pay, making it more of a long shot with huge odds and big paydays when they do come through.

Nothing comes easy in parlay betting, however. The reason parlays come with huge payouts is because picking multiple winners is very hard to do.

Proposition bets: These are often considered the fun bets. Proposition bets, or props, are often exotic bets with little or no impact on the actual outcome of a game.

Props are essentially gamblers betting on whether or not something will happen. Will the coin toss before the start of the game come up heads or tails? Will the Giants score first against the Jets? Will Eli Manning throw for more than two touchdown passes?

Sportsbooks often offer props on all kinds of things in big games with large audiences such as the Super Bowl.

Futures bets: Futures bets are long-term wagers that may take place over an entire season. Common futures bets include betting on a team to win a division title, championship, or just to make the playoffs. The best odds are offered on these bets before the start of the season.

Sports are unpredictable, particularly over the length of an entire season. As a result, futures bets pay big odds.

How much do sports betting operators have to pay in taxes?

The law sets the tax rate for racetrack sportsbook at 8.5 percent. Plus, an additional 1.25 percent payment to be split by host communities and counties. Casinos must also pay the 8.5 percent tax, plus the additional 1.25 percent payment. However, the proceeds of the casinos’ 1.25 percent payment will go toward Atlantic City marketing.

A federal excise tax of 0.25 percent of handle will also be paid by all sportsbook operations.

Who oversees NJ sports betting?

The law gives the state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement and the New Jersey Racing Commission the right to set sports betting regulations, issue operators licenses, and provide oversight in the industry.

Was New Jersey the first state to legalize sports betting outside Nevada?

No. Delaware launched full-scale sportsbook operations at its three racetrack casinos on June 5, 2018 — just a few days before New Jersey.

Sports betting in Delaware operates under the direction of the state lottery.

Common sports betting terms

Sportsbooks and sports bettors are not speaking another language. It’s just that the world of sports betting involves a lot of jargon. In other words, they’ve got words for all kinds of things you may not have heard of before.

Here’s a quick glossary of some common sports betting terms that may help you understand it all a little better:

Action

An action is simply another word for a bet or a wager. If you’ve got action on a game, you’ve got a bet on it. The amount of action is equal to the amount bet.

Beard

A beard, or runner, is someone placing bets for another person. Professional gamblers may use beards to disguise who they are betting on and how much.

Book

“Book” is a shorter term used for sportsbook or bookmaker.

Bookie

A bookie is a person that takes bets. Generally, bookies operate in the black market as opposed to legal and regulated sportsbooks in casinos. However, someone taking your bet at a legal sportsbook could also be referred to as a bookie.

Closing line

Lines are subject to fluctuate before a game begins. This movement is based on various information including how much money is being bet on each side. The closing line is the final betting line set before the game begins.

Cover

When a team wins by more points than they are favored by in the point spread, they cover the spread.

Favorite

A favorite is a team the sportsbook believes is most likely to win. Favorites give away points in the point spread and have shorter odds on the money line. A big favorite is often referred to as a lock, but there are no sure things.

Handle

The term handle refers to the total amount of money a sportsbook takes in. This should not be confused with the revenue a sportsbook pulls in, which is often only a small percentage of its handle. Handle is all the money bet on either side of all bets.

Pick ’em

A game is referred to as a pick ’em when no favorite emerges. The point spread on a pick ’em would be zero, although it’s very rare to see.

Sharp

Sharps are winning professional sports bettors who always seems to be on the right side of things. They often use inside information to bet wisely or more sharply than the average punter.

Square

A square is the opposite of a sharp. These are more casual and less serious gamblers. They follow public sentiment, let emotions affect their wagering and unlike sharps, they bet with their heart instead of their head.

Tout

A tout is an individual or organization giving away or selling picks on various games. Most claim to be big winners, but if that were true, why would they want to give away their secrets?

Underdog

Underdogs are the teams not expected to win. They represent the other side of the favorites coin. These teams get points in the spread and decent odds on the money line. If the team stands almost no chance of winning, it is referred to as a longshot.

Vigorish

Vigorish is the term used to describe the commission a sportsbook takes in on bets. This is where they get revenue. Vigorish is often called the vig or the juice.